Books of Love
by LittleMissPeachy
Summary: Harry finds himself having an unexpected encounter in the library. Oneshot. Slash.


_**Disclaimer:** The characters are not my own, but you know that. Carry on, dear reader._

_**Warnings:** Just some good ol' fluffy slash._

_**AN:** Originally inspired by a prompt but took a completely different turn. Set in an AU seventh year._

* * *

><p>Draco enters the library, his eyes quickly finding his target. He takes a breath and walks over to the boy studying before he can change his mind.<p>

Harry hears the footsteps and looks up. "What do you want, Malfoy?"

"You, of course Potter."

Harry laughs once, harshly. "What do you really want?"

"I want – " Draco pauses, his courage disappearing quickly, but he doesn't back down."I wanted to ask if there was any way we could start over? Put the past behind us?"

Harry gives another harsh laugh. "What's this Malfoy? An attempt to seduce me like you've done with every other bloke around here?"

Draco sighs. "Look, Potter. I thought you of all people knew better than to believe everything you hear about someone through the grapevine."

"I hear you sometimes, Malfoy. Bragging about how you can get any bloke you want."

"It may surprise you to hear this Potter, but I was raised in a household that taught old-fashioned values. I was told that gentleman don't kiss and tell. Contrary to what you might hear, I've had far fewer boyfriends than the tally that the school seems to have."

Harry's mouth drops open in surprise. Draco takes the opportunity to sit down on the chair next to Potter, saying with a smirk, "Cat got your tongue?"

Harry closes his mouth and looks away. "Do you really mean it? About putting the past behind us? Or is this some sort of prank?"

In answer, Draco holds out his hand. "I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy."

Harry turns his head, piercing Draco's gaze with his brilliant green eyes as if searching for something. Finally, after a long pause, he takes the blonde's hand, shaking it. "I'm Harry. Harry Potter."

"Nice to meet you, Harry. Mind if I study with you?"

"Not at all."

Draco pulls his books out, losing himself in _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Seven_. In the midst of a rather engrossing description of the Patronus Charm, he hears Harry mumble something. Looking up, he shoots an inquiring glance that is lost on the other boy. He smiles to himself. Harry is reading aloud, unaware of doing so. "Do you always do that?"

Harry looks up. "Do what?"

"Read out loud to yourself."

"Yes." Harry colors slightly. "Ron's always teasing me about it. I don't even notice I'm doing it."

"Don't ever tell her I told you, but Pansy does the same thing."

Harry looks surprised. Draco can't tell whether this is because of the information itself or the fact that Draco actually told such a thing to him; but after a moment, the dark-haired boy speaks. "It's nice to know I'm not the only one. No one else in Gryffindor does it, you see."

Draco smirks at him. "We Slytherins all have our quirks, Harry. We just tend to keep such things private."

"Why?" Open curiosity shows clearly on Harry's face.

"For the same reason Gryffindors tend to be brave to the point of reckless. Each house encourages certain traits."

"Oh." Harry's face reveals distaste at Draco's statement, and the Slytherin feels a small stab of annoyance.

"You don't like that much, do you."

It isn't a question, but Harry answers it anyway. "I don't like how the houses divide us. They bring out our differences when instead we should find common ground."

"I've never thought about it before."

Harry shakes his head. "You shouldn't get me started. I can talk your ear off about such things."

"I don't mind. It's – " Draco hesitates, unsure if he should admit it – "it's nice to have a decent conversation for once."

Harry's eyes snap to Draco's. "You don't have decent conversations with your friends?"

Draco laughs, unable to keep a bitter edge out of his tone. "Out of all the people I call my friends Pansy and Blaise are the only ones I can actually talk to. But lately they've been so wrapped up in each other they've rather ignored anyone else, including me."

Harry frowns in thought. "Oh yeah, I guess I did hear that they'd gotten together."

"Only hear? Harry, you're blind if you haven't seen them all over each other. Mealtimes, corridors, hell even in class if they can get away with it!"

Harry shrugs his shoulders. "You're the only – " He catches himself, taking in a sharp breath, his eyes finding Draco's before darting away.

Draco hears his own breath catch and a burst of something that feels suspiciously like hope and, dare he acknowledge it, desire, bubbles up in his chest. "I'm the only what, Harry?"

Harry's face turns a deliciously adorable shade of maroon. He seems unable to speak. Draco becomes rather speechless himself. Both boys start when a female voice speaks.

"You're the only Slytherin he ever bothers to notice, is what Harry means to say." A girl with bushy hair confidently strides out from the corner of the nearest bookshelf, where she apparently had been surveying the scene before her.

Draco gapes at her. Out of the corner of his eye he sees an identical expression on Harry's face.

"_Hermione!_" The Gryffindor manages before hiding his face in his hands.

"You'll thank me later." Hermione crosses her arms, turning to face Draco. "And if you mess this up or hurt him, I've researched many useful spells…"

Draco can only nod in understanding before she strides away, muttering something that sounds suspiciously like a silencing spell. He looks at Harry. He still has his face in his hands. Quietly, Draco utters Harry's name.

Harry looks up, blinking rather rapidly. Draco's heart flutters, surprising him with its intensity. "Is what Hermione said true, Harry?"

Harry takes a deep breath. "Y-yes, it is."

"Can I tell you something Harry?"

The Gryffindor nods. Draco takes his own deep breath. "I've rather fancied you for a while. Took me a fair bit of time to realize that, of course. But – yeah. The reason the few relationships I've had haven't lasted is because I can't stop thinking about you."

Draco sees Harry pinch his own arm and almost laughs out loud. "No, you're not dreaming." The blonde softly touches the brunette's arm, rubbing gently over the pink mark. Unwittingly he looks up; his eyes catch the brilliant green gaze. Suddenly he feels too warm and there is some kind of unbearable tension tangible in the air around them and he can't take it anymore and then –

Harry makes some sort of dry sound as Draco's lips capture his own, and this is pure heaven –

And then Harry pushes him, breaking the kiss as he backs away. "This is some kind of prank, isn't it? You've got someone with a video camera hiding around here, don't you?"

Draco doesn't understand what had gone wrong. "Yeah, because muggle cameras work so well at Hogwarts," he says, his sarcastic tone biting.

Harry flushes and looks down. "I'm sorry." His voice comes out just above a whisper. "I just…"

Draco's heart melts as he watches the other boy bite his lip, and in a flash he understands. "You've wanted this so long but you're afraid I'll hurt you."

Harry looks up. He doesn't speak, but his eyes tell volumes. Draco reaches out, slowly, giving Harry time to pull away, and when he doesn't he rests a hand on the other boy's cheek. "Me too."

Harry holds Draco's gaze, searching his face for a long moment before reaching out and grabbing the front of the blonde boy's robes. "Come here." Their lips meet once more, and Harry softly moans as he fully relaxes into the kiss.

A pair of brown eyes watches the scene unfold from a crack between two bookshelves. She winces as a large volume falls from the top of the shelf that Harry pushes Draco into, and wordlessly waves her wand at it. The book gently glides back into its original position.

Neither boy notices.

~fin~


End file.
